I think most of us would agree that a logo is far from the most important thing about a church. If ever we find ourselves in a scenario where we are relying on a church logo to be what attracts people to us, we may have missed the point.
However, a church logo can be a valuable way to reflect your church’s identity and be a helpful signpost to who you are as a community. So for those in the early stages of creating a logo, or those looking to rebrand, here are 6 pointers on creating a church logo:
Your logo should reflect your church.
If your logo looks younger and hipper than Urban Outfitters, but you are an older, more established church, that’s going to be a disconnect for people.
Inversely, if you’re a collegiate church plant, make sure your logo isn’t stock from fifteen years ago.
Look for opportunities to be unique.
It’s fine for your logo to be a cross on a hill with the sun setting behind it, but something like that will probably blend in with the other logos like it. Look for ways to go beyond the typical church logo.
Simpler is (almost) always better.
When in doubt, don’t try anything crazy.
Using nothing but a strong typeface for a logo is better than a complex concept that can’t be pulled off.
That being said, it is possible to go too simple. But most of us don’t err that way.
Ask a designer’s opinion.
My designer friends may hate me for saying this, but there’s no harm in emailing an idea you’ve put together to a designer for their thoughts. Most designers, like myself, love expressing their opinion (i.e. the Gap logo debacle or the more recent Hilary Clinton fiasco). Don’t ask them to design a logo for you for free, but feel free to ask their opinion on an existing concept.
Think about the end uses.
Keep in mind all the places your logo will be used. You want it to look good on a sign outside your building, but it has to look good on the top of a letterhead too. If there’s too much detail in your logo, it’ll be a mess when it gets printed for smaller uses.
Don’t rebrand unnecessarily.
A logo is meant to represent your church. So the more often you change it, the less representative it becomes. There are appropriate times to change your logo, but err on the side of stability. Land on a logo you like, and stick with it until there’s a good reason to change.
Whatever you decide, rest assured that your success as a church will not rise or fall on how awesome your church logo is.
The important things are your commitment to the gospel, your devotion to one another as a church family, and your unwavering dedication to living on mission together.
Focus on those, and then a logo can just be a logo.
Published June 8, 2015
